Draft-equalizer.



1 No. 732,465. 4 a PATENTED JUNE 30., 1903.. F513. STOUT. I

DRAFT EQUALIZER. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 21. 1902.

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PATENTED JUNE so, 1903. F. B.VST0U'T. DRAFT EQUALIZERJ APPLICATION FILED DEC. 27, 1902 2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

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PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN B. STOUT, OF BALTIC, SOUTH DAKOTA.

DRAFT-EQUALIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,465, dated June 30, 1903.

Application filed December 27,1902. Serial No. 136,875. (No model.)

To to whom) it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN B. STOUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltic, in the county of Minneh'aha and State of from the horses, to prevent rubbing from the tugs or tongue, and to distribute the draft in such manner that all of the horses will pull evenly.

A salient feature of this invention and that which distinguishes it from the art is that the equalizer is directly connected with the frame of the reaper or harvester in such manner that when strain is applied to the device the connection between it and the machine-frame will cause a lifting of the pole or tongue, and thus obviate downward strain upon the horses necks.

A further and salient feature of this invention is that when the whiffietrees are disposed upward-that is to say, in a plane above the pole or ton guethe equalizer operates to take off the side draft and prevents rubbing, and when the position of the parts is reversed that is to say, when the whiffletrees are disposed in a plane below the pole or tongue the draft device connecting the frame of the machine and the equalizer will operate to eliminate neck weight and side draft.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a draft-equalizer, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, there is illustrated one form of-embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the elements therein-exhibited may be varied or changed as to the shape, propor-' tion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit thereof, and in these drawings- Figure 1 is a view in plan exhibiting the disposition of the parts of the device when positioned for removing side draft and preventing rubbing of the animals from the tugs. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the disposition of the parts of the-device when positioned for obviating neck weight and side draft.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3. of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is' a view in plan of a five-horse evener attachment. Fig. 5 is a sec tional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Before describing the difierent parts of the device it is to be understood that in both instances they are precisely the same, the only difference being that under certain conditions the whitlietrees and draft-equalizing mechanism will be disposed above the plane of the tongue and under other conditions below the plane of the tongue, as hereinbefore pointed out.

Referring to the drawings and to Fig. 1 thereof, 1 designates the pole or tongue of a harvester, binder, or the like, the rear end of which is rigidly connected with a portion of the frame designated by 2 and is braced therefrom by a strut Pivotally connected with the pole at a point adjacent to its rear end is an evener-supporting bar 4:, to which is pivotally connected an evener-bar 5, being braced by an arm 6, pivotally connected to the tongue and to the bar 4, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The evener '5, which may be of the usual or any preferred construction, has pivotally connected with it two equalizingbars 7 and8, the pivotal connection between said bars and the evener being near the innerends of the former, and to each of the bars is connected in the usual or any preferred manner a'doubletree9 and 10, respectively carrying whiffletrees 11.

As shown in Figs. 1' and 2, the equalizing device is adapted for accommodating four horses; but when it is desired to accommodate five a doubletree 12,carrying whiffletrees 13, is connected with the equalizing-bar 7, the three-draft doubletree being shown in detail in Fig. 4.

When the three-draft doubletree is employed, the clip 14, which holds the equalizing-bar 7 connected with the evener,.is shifted, and its bolt is brought into engagement with an opening 15, (clearly shown in Fig. 1,) thus to centralize the draft, as will be readily understood.

When it is desired to adapt the equalizer for six horses, the doubletree 10 will be removed and a three-draft doubletree substituted for it, and under these conditions the clip 16, which holds the equalizing-bar 8 associated with the evener 5, will he disconnected and its bolt will be brought into engagement with an opening 17in said bar, it being understood that the evener 5 will be provided with openings registering with the openings 15 and 17 in the equalizing-bars for receiving the bolts of the clips 14 and 16.

The evener at its inner end is permitted only to have a limited arc of movement, the range being controlled by a clevis 18, which embraces said evener and the evener-supporting bar 4, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The means for transmitting the draft from one equalizing-bar to another, thus to cause the horses to pull evenly, comprise a frame 19, carrying a plurality of grooved sheaves 20, in this instance three, arranged in triangular relation to each other, the said frame comprising two metallicplates, the underone of which is rigidly secured to the evener and the two being held spaced properly apart by the sheaves 20.

Each of the equalizing-bars carries adjacent to its inner end an eye or staple 21, and to each of these eyes is connected the terminals of a chain 22, the intermediate portion of which is passed around the sheaves 20, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. To change the length of the chain when desired, turnbuckles 23 may be employed, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be seen that when draft is applied to the equalizing-bars if the. horses attached to the doubletree 9 pull stronger than those attached to the doubletree 10 a back draft will be transmitted to the horses attached to the doubletree 10, and this excess of draft, as will presently appear, will be transmitted to the frame of the machine, preventing the pole from striking the last-named horses.

By the provision of the sheaves and flexible connection between the draft-equalizing bars an easy and certain operation of the parts is efiected.

The evener 5 is connected with its supporting-bar 4 through the medium of a clip 24, with which is connected one end of a chain or wire rope 25, the other end of which is connected with a clevis 26, mounted upon the portion 2 of the machine-frame, being held in the desired adjustment thereon by means of a bolt 27. The side-d raft-equalizing chain 25 passes around a sheave 28, mounted in a bracket 29, secured to the tongue, thence around asheave 30, mounted in a bracket 31, also secured to the tongue back of the bracket 29, the bracket 31 being supported upon the tongue by a triangular brace 32, bolted to one side of the tongue. The bracket 31 is provided with a plurality of openings 33, by which to permit shifting of the sheave 30, thus to remove all side draft and also to adjust the length of the chain as requisite to takenp any slack.

When the parts are disposed as shown in Fig. 1that is to say, with the equalizing device disposed above the plane'of the pole-it will be thoroughly effective in taking off side draft and preventing the tugs from rubbing against the legs of the horses, causing the horses to walk evenly with each other and obviating crowding or sidewise pulling.

When the parts of the equalizing device are disposed as shown in Fig. 2-that is to say, when the device is transposed to bring these parts beneath the plane of the tonguewhen draft is applied to the device it is transmitted from the evener through the draftequalizing chain 25 to the frame, thereby causing the outer end of the pole to be lifted, and thus positively to prevent neck weight and side draft, it being seen that by reason of the fact that the draft-equalizing machine is attached to a rigid part that the greater the pull applied to the evener the tighter will be drawn the draft-equalizing chain, thus causing the outer end of the pole to be lifted to perform the function designed.

When it is desired to employ but three horses, the bolt of the clip 16 is removed and inserted through the opening 17 in the equalizing-bar 8 and in the complemental opening in the evener, and the doubletree 10 will remain as shown in Fig. 1. The equalizing-bar 7 will have a single whiflletree attached to it. By adjusting the bolt of the clip 16 in the manner described centralizing of the draft is effected.

In turning corners the evener will be limited in its movement by reason of the clevis 18 contacting with the evener-supporting bar 4, and after this range of movement has been absorbed further strain applied to the evener will be transmitted through the equalizingchain to the frame of the machine, checking the movement of the evener in the manner described and causing the outside horses to effect turning of the machine by pulling on the tugs instead of the tongue-horses pulling around by the necks, as is common in all devices of this character.

The device of this invention while exceedingly simple in construction will be found in a thoroughly feasible and practical manner to obviate objections inherent in draft-equalizers heretofore employed, and particularly the feature of preventing neck weight, as by connecting the equalizing device with the frame of the machine this will be positively obviated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a draft-equalizer, the combination with an evener, of draft-equalizing bars pivoted thereto and carrying draft appliances, sheaves disposed between the inner terminals of the said bars, and flexible means connecting the inner terminals of the said bars and passed around the sheaves.

2. In a draft-equalizer, the combination with an evener, of draft-equalizing bars pivoted thereto and carrying draft appliances, sheaves disposed between the inner terminals of the said bars and on opposite sides of the evener, and flexible means connecting the inner terminals of the said bars and passed around the sheaves.

3. In a draft-equalizer, the combination with an evener, of draft-equalizing bars pivoted thereto and carrying draft appliances, a frame disposed between the inner terminals of the equalizing-bars and carrying sheaves, and flexible meansconnecting the inner terminals of the equalizing-bars and passed around the sheaves.

4. In a draft-equalizer, the combination with a pole or tongue, of a bar pivoted thereto, an evener pivotally connected to the bar near its outer end, sheaves carried by the pole or tongue, one of which is adjustable to and from the tongue, and a flexible connection passing around the sheaves, one terminal of which is connected with the said bar and the other terminal with the frame of the machine.

5. In a draft-equalizer, the combination with a pole or tongue, of a bar pivoted thereto, an evener pivotally connected to the bar near its outer end, sheaves carried by the pole or tongue, one of which is adjustable to and from the tongue, a flexible connection passing around the sheaves and having one terminal connected with the bar, and an adjustable clevis mounted upon the machine-frame and to which the other terminal of the flexible connection is secured.

6. In a draft-equalizer, the combination with a pole or tongue, of a pivoted bar, an evener pivoted near the outer end of the bar, sheaves carried by the pole or tongue, and a flexible connection uniting the frame of the machine andthe pivoted bar.

7. In a draft-equalizer, the combination with a pole or tongue, of a bar pivoted thereto, an evener pivotally connected to the bar near its outer end, sheaves carried by the pole or tongue, one of which is adjustable to and from the tongue, and a flexible connec-- tion passing around the sheaves, one terminal of which is connected with the said bar and the other terminal adj ustably connected with the frame of the machine.

8. In a draft-equalizer, the combination With a pole or tongue, of a pivoted bar, an evener pivoted near the outer end of the bar, sheaves carried by the pole or tongue, a fl6Xl ble connection uniting the frame of the machine and the pivoted bar, draft-equalizing bars pivoted to the evener and carrying draft appliances, sheaves disposed between the inner terminals of the equalizing-bars, and fiexible means connecting the inner terminals of the said bars and passed around the sheaves.

9. In a draft-equalizer, the combination with a pole or tongue, of a pivoted bar, an evener pivoted near the outer end of the bar, sheaves carried by the pole or tongue, one of which is adjustable with relation thereto, a flexible connection passing around the sheaves, one terminal of which ,is connected with the said bar and the other terminal ad justably connected with the frame of the machine, draft-equalizing bars pivoted to the evener and carrying draft appliances, sheaves disposed between the inner terminals of the equalizing-bars, and flexible means connecting the inner terminals of the equalizingbars and passed around the sheaves.

10. In a draftequalizer, the combination with a pole or tongue, of a bar, means for flexibly connecting the bar with the frame of a machine, thus to limit its range of movement, an evener pivotally connected with the outer portion of the bar, means for limiting the arc of movement of the evener with relation to the bar, draft-equalizing bars pivotally connected at their inner terminals to the evener, draft appliances detachably associated with the equalizing-bars, a plurality of sheaves interposed between the inner terminals of the equalizing-bars, and flexible means passed around the sheaves and having its terminals connected with the equalizingbars.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANKLIN B. STOUT.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. REA, R. M. ELLIOTT. 

